Can a shingles shot help your brain?
Recombinant zoster vaccine is associated with a reduced risk of dementia
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The dementia risk reduction was stronger than any other known preventive intervention (like statins or exercise) in similar timeframes.
No other single medical intervention has shown a 50%+ reduction in dementia risk in observational data—especially one already used for a different purpose.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re 65+, and haven’t gotten Shingrix yet, talk to your doctor about it—especially if you’re a woman.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The dementia risk reduction was stronger than any other known preventive intervention (like statins or exercise) in similar timeframes.
No other single medical intervention has shown a 50%+ reduction in dementia risk in observational data—especially one already used for a different purpose.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re 65+, and haven’t gotten Shingrix yet, talk to your doctor about it—especially if you’re a woman.
Publication
Journal
Nature Communications
Year
2026
Authors
Emily Rayens, L. Sy, L. Qian, B. Ackerson, J. Tubert, Yi Luo, Punam P Modha, Raul O Calderon, Elizabeth Chmielewski-Yee, D. Oraichi, Huifeng Yun, Carol Koro, H. Tseng
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Claims (10)
Getting the shingles shot when you're 65 or older might help lower your chances of developing dementia by about a third over the next several years.
People who got two shots of the shingles vaccine were less likely to develop dementia later on—even when researchers checked for things like the pandemic or how dementia was diagnosed—so it might actually help protect your brain.
People who got the shingles vaccine twice were 27% less likely to develop dementia later on than people who got a different vaccine (Tdap), even after accounting for the fact that healthier people tend to get more vaccines — so the shingles vaccine might be doing something special to protect the brain.
Getting two shots of the shingles vaccine when you're 65 or older might lower your chances of getting dementia by about half, even if you've had shingles before or come from any background — it’s not a guarantee, but studies suggest a strong link.
Getting two shots of the shingles vaccine might help lower your risk of getting dementia, no matter your age, race, or whether dementia is caused by Alzheimer’s or blood vessel problems.